Butte semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1886-1890, 1887-12-21
THE POWERS CONCILIATORY.

AAA~
It is evident from the tone OF the dis
patches yesterday from Berlin and Vienna
hat a great deal more truth was allowed
to leak through official sources than was
iudicious, and the Austrian authorities
have reminded the gentlemen of the press
there that war rumors are not within their
province. Great pains are taken to make
it appear that the gravity OF the situation
is ~overdrawn and that, while no effort is
made to conceal the fact that defensive
measures are being pushed to completion
as quickly az possible and neither power
intends to relax the vigilance with which
they will watch Russian movements, they
will use every conciliatory means possible
to maintain good relations with the Rus
sian bear. 1t is plain that tho authorities,
who inspire most OF the official news that
becomes public in Europe, are doing all in
their power to check the feeling that war is
inevitable, and realize hat the dispatches
of the last few days have not been ealcn-
lated to mollify Russia. It has all
been brought about by that article
in the St. Petersburg Gazette. That
afforded occasion for criticism and brought
the whole matter up for discussion every.
where in Europe. Had the disbelief enter
tanned in it's sincerity in high official quar-
ters OF Germany and Austria been less pro-
nounced, the war fever would noth have been
SO quickly epidemic among all ranks and
classes, and tho attempt Of the Berlin and
Vienna Governments to deprecate the
gravity of the situation and Dtem the cur
rent of opinion that war is inevitable will
deceive nobody. Everyone will hope that
good relations will be maintained between
the powers involved, but too much truth
has leaked out for anyone to doubt that
Europe is virtually on the verge Of an erup-
ton of war that will cast all previous ones
into the shade. 1t is the certainty of the
magnitude of the conflict that makes those
powers which have lately allied themselves
for peace try every possible resource before
pronouncing the fatal word. Were Austria
as well prepared for war as Germany is, the
allies would be less DESTROYS OF preaching
Cancellation; but as things stand on her Gal
lician frontier they are evidently DESTROYS
of gaining as much time as they can by de-
lay. But what profits Austria, profits also
France and Russia. France has been act
lively engaged in completing a network OF
military railways around Metz to enable
the immediate concentration of enormous
bodies of troops at that point and has
materially strengthened her 6efences on the
italian frontier. Italy has been inuring
her troops to active service in Abyssinia
and her navy is the finest in point Of size
OF vessels and impregnability OF any afoat.
It is not large in number like the English,
but capable of sailing up to the principal
ports of France and reducing them to ruins
at leisure. The delay that benefits the
allies, therefore, is equally beneficial to the
enemy and the conclusion to be reached is
that by spring each side will be in position
to do the other the greatest amount Of
damage when, unless a miracle intervenes,
the gun will be fired that will echo round
the world.